


Night Shift

by Sasa_Q



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:07:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 915
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27321691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasa_Q/pseuds/Sasa_Q
Summary: Garak is still in the infirmary after the incident with his implant. Julian decides to take the night shift to spend time with him.
Relationships: Julian Bashir & Elim Garak, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 5
Kudos: 72
Collections: Trektober 2020





	Night Shift

Garak hadn't been able to sleep in the infirmary properly unless given a sedative. He didn't know why necessarily, maybe it was that he had never trusted doctors. Even Dr. Bashir. In a way... especially Dr. Bashir.

He was on the mend following the incident with his implant. Dr. Bashir had gotten everything worked out; as Garak was beginning to find out, he always did. Garak should be out of the infirmary in the next two days. His body was returning to normal, or rather, to the normal that it had been before he started abusing the implant.

So why did it hurt so much?

"Can't sleep?" came a voice from the other side of the room.

Garak sat up in his cot. It was Dr. Bashir. "Doctor!" he said. "I didn't know you were staying late today. I pity you if you chose to do so to be with me. I'm rather poor company, wouldn't you say?"

"Not at all," Dr. Bashir said, closing the door. "And actually, I'd really prefer it if you just called me Julian. I've heard you call me Dr. Bashir too many times."

"All right... Julian," Garak said. The name tasted strange.

"Does that mean I can call you Elim?" Julian asked.

Garak tried to pretend as if he wasn't surprised to hear his first name. "That would be being a bit presumptive, wouldn't it?"

"So no?" Julian said. "You're not even going to ask me how I learned your name?"

"Not at all," said Garak. "In fact, I believe I can fill in the gaps. You must have spoken to my... associate. Enabran Tain. I was wondering why you've been so quiet about how you came up with materials in order to save my life. That's really the only explanation as to why. How is he?"

"I don't understand you Cardassians," Julian said. "I really don't."

"Perhaps you never will," Garak said.

"I'd like to," Julian said. "Understand, I mean. It would be easier if you told me the truth."

"I tell the truth all the time!" said Garak.

"Garak, you never tell the truth," Julian said. "At least not when it counts."

"There's where we differ," said Garak. "I tell the truth only when it counts, never more."

"Then tell me the truth right now," said Julian.

"About what?" Garak asked. "I have so many topics to choose from."

"Let's start with you," said Julian. "How do you feel? I mean, how do you really feel?"

"I feel fine," Garak said immediately. "Well, no, I don't. That was a lie. I apologize, I'm not starting off too well. You may be right."

Julian laughed. "I'm glad you admit it," he said. "So, what's wrong?"

"That's a little harder to pin down," Garak said. "I know I should be feeling all right, that I should be getting better, but... I don't know why I bother. You won't understand."

"Hey, no, you were starting to tell the truth and then you shut down," Julian said. "Keep saying what you were saying before. But what?"

"But I miss it. The implant," Garak said. He sighed. "You can't possibly understand how much I miss it."

"I can try," Julian said. "I know you've depended on it for a while. And if not that, you've used painkillers."

"Or there's always kanar," said Garak bitterly. "I didn't really realize it until I collapsed in Quark's... but I've become rather a man of vices."

"It's not easy to admit something like that," Julian said.

"No," said Garak. "It's not easy at all."

"You're thinking about it right now," Julian said. "Your implant."

"Very astute," Garak said. "We ARE talking about it, after all."

"That's not what I mean," Julian said. "I mean you're wishing you could turn it on. You're wishing you had your hypo. You're wishing you had a bottle of kanar. Anything other than being in this infirmary with me."

"That's not true," Garak said. "I mean, yes. But not the part about you. You've saved my life. I... don't mind having you around. I mean, that is to say, of course, as a doctor."

"Of course," Julian said. "Just as a doctor."

"What else did Tain tell you?" Garak asked. "I'm assuming it wasn't just my name."

"He didn't say much," said Julian. Garak could tell there was something Julian didn't want to say, but he didn't feel like pressing it. To be honest, Garak wasn't sure he could take it. "Do you want me to give you anything?"

"What?" Garak asked, taken off guard.

"So you can sleep?" Julian asked.

"Oh. Yes, that might be nice," Garak said.

"I'll run and get that," Julian said. "Be right back."

Garak lay back down on the cot and stared at the ceiling. Talking. It was certainly an uncomfortable venture, especially when he told the truth. He hadn't done that for a while now.

Julian came back with a hypo. "You should be asleep within a minute," he said.

He was about to press it to Garak's neck when Garak said, "Julian?"

"Yes?" Julian said.

"Thank you," Garak said. "For listening to me. Talking to me. Taking the night shift. I... appreciate it."

"It's not a problem at all," Julian said. "Just anything a good doctor would do." He hypoed Garak. "Or a friend."

Garak went to protest when he felt the sleepiness hit him, and he drifted off thinking of the proper way to say, I could use a friend like you.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm going to be honest, I hate how this turned out. I'm really not happy with it, but I need to post it because it's already late for Trektober. :(  
> Comments are appreciated!


End file.
